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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2002

A group of Alaska Natives protested President Bush's visit to Anchorage on Saturday because it forced the delay of an event honoring a Tlingit activist.

Bush spoke at a $1,000-a-head and $10,000-a-picture fundraiser at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. The center put off Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, which celebrates the woman who led to the state's civil rights act, until Sunday.

Alaska Federation of Natives President Julie Kitka said she spoke briefly to Bush and told him Alaska Natives have the highest per capita rate of military service in the nation. Kitka said Bush told her he would have used the information in his speech had he known about it.

Bush promoted drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while in town. The state of Alaska has spent more than $5 million to lobby for drilling, mostly to a group called Arctic Power.

Get the Story:
Group protests delay of Peratrovich Day (The Anchorage Daily News 2/17)
Group protests rescheduling of Native event for Bush visit (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 2/17)
Bush gets rousing welcome (The Anchorage Daily News 2/17)
Republicans pay big bucks to hobnob with President (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 2/17)
Drilling plan 'sound,' Bush tells Alaskans (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 2/17)
ANWR drive is a guzzler (The Anchorage Daily News 2/17)

Relevant Links:
Roy Peratrovich and Elizabeth Peratrovich - http://www.alaskool.org/projects/native%5Fgov/
recollections/peratrovich/r%5Fperatrovich%5Findx.htm

Related Stories:
Native ceremony delayed for Bush (2/14)
Play portrays Tlingit woman's fight (2/13)